Do You Think the Design, Surveying, Remote Sensing and GIS Communities Are Aligned - or have Gaps?

 

 

On the technical side the design, GIS, remote sensing and surveying communities have never been more aligned than they are at the present time. Most geospatial technology works together, interoperability is high and many products even display advanced cross product functionality. However, on the conceptual side of the equation seems to remain on a dusty trail with many explorers setting up homesteads - and staying in them.  This has important ramifications for growth. Do You Think the Design, GIS, Remote Sensing and GIS Communities Are Aligned - or have Gaps?

The Technical Side

There is little doubt that the technical side of the geospatial industry has grown, expanding in terms of the numerous products and services offered. It has also succeeded to integrate higher levels of interoperability between hardware, software and the delivery of services. We can point to these gains and attribute them to organisations like Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and others.

In general, most people can open raw data files, import them into software, process them or perform spatial analysis and then deliver results. In the later case, if there are sometimes difficulties, these lie in the realm of visualisation software that are incapable of importing (exporting) geospatially derived results with unique formats.  We've written about the relationship of formats to performance many times, and about some of the possibilities for transforming spatial information relative to design goals.

The majority of the population can pick up most GNSS receivers today, collect data with them and export that data to make a map in most GIS. The same is true for CAD software. LiDAR data and laser scanning instruments now come with processing software, therefore the task of handling these large files has been simplified - resulting in more openness and access for users, some of whom may not be surveyors or geo-professionals. The surveying community speaks about connecting instruments via data processes - workflows.  But has the surveying community welcomed  'volunteers'  into the ranks of it's body, or do walls remain?

A similar statement can be made for the remote sensing community. Today, anyone can buy a digital airborne camera, start a small business and acquire high amounts of imagery. Flight planning and management software for handling this imagery has been simplified, and the analysis of the imagery has also been simplified. In fact, in at least one case a large imaging specialised company readily accepts and processes remotely gathered images for analysis from a number of camera types, delivering results within days.

On the GIS side of the equation the development of GIS Web services has greatly improved the openness and availability of spatially related products that people can purchase or use to create new products for sale. This has resulted in opportunities to start businesses, generate wealth and to contribute to the economic livelihood of many. Many of the rudimentary, and often agonizing steps earlier practitioners dealt with surrounding geodesy functions hav been taken care of. Users now simply access and use the 'right' data.

The Conceptual Side

Last year I wrote about the need to develop new approaches for conferences. This resulted from the observation that fewer and fewer people were attending the large growing number of events. Those conferences that have succeeded have largely learned to 'crack the nut' to understand that communities and their success are multi-disciplinary and cross professional boundaries readily. They preach more of the 'why' people are using the technologies, than only about technologies themselves.

Most would agree that professional bodies have their place. They operate to create communities, managing and organising them into formal structures that better define individual areas of expertise. Tradition is an integral aspect to these communities and their structures often support the communication elements that lead toward wider goals.

Yet, as mentioned above, the technology side of the equation has created a wealth of technology that effectively breaks down barriers, structures and common formal lines, replacing them with adaptable, flexible and continuously changing possibilities - that could provide the circumstances where more people participate and share.

How are we doing at resolving this distinction?

If I mentioned that I was going to perform a legal survey with high grade GNSS equipment or even a total station today, I am pretty sure a few people would be up in arms. Yet, the marketplace has pretty much placed the technology in my hands to make the survey (someone ought to take 10 oridnary guys/girls in the field some day and test this theory).

In a similar way professional GIS services can be purchased and delivered without knowing much about GIS. On the other hand, I have a harder time thinking that anyone could design a building with CAD software - that takes creative talent! A shed or garage might be possible though for the inexperienced. Has CAD been made simpler like GIS? Now there is another question.

The Resolution Side

The situation is changing rapidly and we need to ensure that this issue is dealt with. It hinges on growing markets and increasing the customer base. Does it seem logical to you that we would create a lot of software and hardware that is simpler to use, attractive to non-professionals and oriented toward greater use - but not really meaning it?

The follow-through to the technical side of the equation will demand that remote sensing people sit down with GIS people who sit with surveyors and that they re-invent the whole landscape.

I've little doubt that professionals in each body will continue to exist, but I am not so sure that we can look at projects, assessing them in multi-disciplinary ways and assigning the participants a rightful place based upon their actions - not just credentials.

I suspect, though I do not know for sure, that placing survey technology in the hands of non-surveyors, will in some cases generate whole new markets. Similarly, I suspect that once urban professionals start to really see the possibilities through GIS Webservices, that they too will be generating whole new designs and possibilities.

Who are all these people that will be performing the tasks for 'ecological monitoring, measurement, design etc.' - anyhow? That is just one example of a cross-cultural and disciplinary body we need.

We've not not much soul searching to understand how to go about putting together a 'geospatial' body of people for a common purposes (s). Do we create goals that require an acceptance for establishing formal human networks to attain goals? Or do we operate from corners of independence without much crosstalk, out-of-box thinking and excitement?

If you are only talking to your traditional audience today, then it is important to ask yourself lots of questions. The world arround you is changing, technology has begun that change and the next step means stepping out of your box - if you really want opportunties.